ASCRC Minutes 9/8/15
GBB 205, 2:10 p.m.
Call to Order
Members Present: T. Bundy, I. Crummy, J. Eglin, E. Engebretson P. Frazier, A. Lawrence, T. Manuel, S.
Smith, G. St. George, E. Uchimoto, M. Semanoff, W. Smith, G.G. Weix
Ex-Officio Present: J. Hickman, N. Lindsay, J. Zink
Members Excused: D. Coffin, M. Boller, B. French, B. Hillman
Guests: A. Capolupo, J. Deboer, J. Weltman
Minutes: The minutes from 4/28/15 were approved.
Communication


New members were welcomed and members introduced themselves.
The committee was reminded that the deadline for curriculum changes to be submitted is
Friday, October 2nd.
Business

The Graduation Appeals Committee would like to improve the appeals process. It reviews many
requests related to the writing requirement and would like to add a member from the Writing
Committee to help with these deliberations. ASCRC approved the request. A permanent
membership change will require an amendment in the Faculty Senate Bylaws.
Last year Beth Howard suggested that the appeal documentation include a completed
graduation application form for the catalog year in which the student wishes to graduate. It will
help the Committee to know whether the student has met the graduation requirements. ASCRC
approved the requirement.

The Committee would also like to create a path to assist students with disabilities navigate
general education more efficiently. Some DSS students have extreme difficulty in succeeding in
certain Gen Ed courses due to their disabilities. It may help reduce student frustration and
increase graduation rates to identify a set of substitute courses that meet the outcomes of Gen
Ed. Currently some students struggle through the regular Gen Ed courses, often multiple times,
and then appeal if they don’t make an acceptable grade. Any policy chosen must ensure the
University is in compliance with ADA requirements. Prior Chair John DeBoer has been working
with Amy Capolupo, Director of the Office of Disability Services for Students and Jessica
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Weltman, Director of the Equal Opportunity Office and Title 9 Coordinator to draft language for
the GAC procedure, and received revised language earlier today from Lucy Franz, UM Legal
Counsel. However, the revised policy language does not satisfactorily clarify the intended
process, which should include consultation with the student’s advisor. The policy statement
should also indicate that the GAC is the deciding body on what constitutes an acceptable
substitute. DSS hopes that the student would not need to appeal if a modification is accepted
earlier than at the point of graduation. Students can work directly with the faculty member for
a modification although under current policy the GAC would have to approve a substitution for a
Gen Ed class. DSS will create an internal procedure as well. It would be helpful to have a
member of GAC working with DSS. Although the faculty and the GAC 203.5 policy do not
condone the establishment of precedents for substitutions, it would be helpful for DSS to have a
list of courses that have been accepted in the past.
DSS wonders whether it is necessary to have the chair and dean sign the appeal. It is confusing
to students when the appeal is recommended for approval by the chair and the dean but then
denied by the GAC. Clarity and simplification of the process would be better for the students.
These signatures are a way to notify the department of the appeal. The form could include a
statement that clarifies that the GAC has the authority to decide the outcome of appeals to
general education requirements.
Last year there were some students that may have assumed they would receive a modified
requirement and did not attempt the course. The GAC would like DSS to encourage students to
attempt the course with reasonable accommodations. If the student is not engaging in the
process then an exception to the requirements may not be granted.
The GAC will refine the process / language in consultation with Disability Services for Students
and the Office of Equal Opportunity and bring it back to ASCRC for approval.

The following subcommittee Chairs were confirmed.
Subcommittee
Chair
Education & Fine Arts
Adrea Lawrence
Humanities & Cultural Studies John Eglin
Business & Journalism
Tony Crawford
Forestry & Biomedical Science Doug Coffin
Science & Math
Eijiro Uchimoto
Social Science
Doug Dalenberg

Chair Manual received a request from Mary Nielson, the Nursing Curriculum Director for a 15
Million TAAACCT 4 grant for the Montana HealthCARE Project across the state, to review the
Level II proposal and associated course forms late (hopefully in November or December). The
HealthCARE Montana grant was awarded to address potential worker shortages in health care,
ensuring that there are enough workers to fill the future long-term healthcare needs of
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Montanans. It is a statewide, industry and 2 year college healthcare education partnership
comprised of a 15-two-year college consortium and 4-tribal colleges, the Montana Department
of Labor & Industry, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and the Montana Area
Health Education Center. The goal of the HealthCARE Montana grant is to facilitate the provision
of high-quality, locally accessible, and industry-relevant training opportunities in the highdemand, high-skill area of health care.
The proposals will revise the present State of Montana common nursing curriculum. This entails
fully revising the Practical Nursing (PN), Associate Degree Registered Nursing (ASN), and RN-BSN
Completion nursing programs in MT. ASCRC approved the request for a late submission

Professor John Eglin and Ione Crummy (alternate) volunteered to serve on the Academic
Conduct Board.

Changes due to common course numbering created some questions with regard to how activity
courses are set up. The draft procedure documents the past practice for clarity. ASCRC
approved the draft appended (201.80.1).

Members were asked to consider the Chair-elect position. Professor Eglin is potentially
interested, but would like some time to think about it.

An inconsistency with ASCRC’s credit hour policy was brought to Chair Manuel’s attention
(201.35). He drafted revised language to be in compliance. The revision was approved
(appended below).

ASCRC was provided with the final Prior Learning Assessment Document. It is on the Faculty
Senate Agenda as information this week as well and will be going to the Board of Regents this
month. Campuses are already doing all the assessments except portfolio review, which is of
concern. This is a very rigorous process and difficult for students to do, but would offer another
pathway for veterans with real life experience that could be considered equivalent to course
work. It also takes significant time for the associated unit faculty to review. The impetus for
this is the desire to increase graduation rates across the state. It seems like another unfunded
mandate. Send any comments to Chair Manuel or Camie and they will be forwarded.

Chair Manuel would like to pursue whether OCHE has been tracking student success related to
Common Course numbering. It would be nice to have data that shows that CCN has been
successful.

IT and the Registrar’s Office requested a faculty member to help with the implementation of the
Faculty Grade Entry in Banner. Chair Manual will help. Camie will ask others who might be
interested.
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Good and Welfare

There is concern regarding the rumor that General Education reform is in the works. There is a
conference on “Defining a 21st Education for a Vibrant Democracy on October 26-27th. This was
a result of the work of the AAIP with regard to the charge to determine how we: “ensure that
the liberal arts are central to today’s higher education and how should we communicate the
importance of the liberal arts to prospective students, parents, teachers, and the general
public”.

There were several items that the Registrar’s Office was working on that were discussed last
year.
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The long titles in Banner are now working. Departments can inform the Registrar’s
Office of the correct titles through the catalog review process in the spring. These are
considered editorial and do not require review by curriculum committees.
There were extenuating circumstances that cause the late publishing of the catalog. The
general education and policy and procedure section is much improved. The Registrar’s
Office is in the editing period now, so please let them know if you find errors.
ASCRC will have a demonstration of the new degree audit system just before it goes live
in February.
Four-year degree maps are the prerogative of departments. These are used as advising
tools, but may not be needed once degree audit goes live. The Web Team is working
with departments to imbed maps on their sites.
The unused attributes have been removed from the course search drop down. There
are a few that still remain on old courses that have not been offered in a few years.
Courses taught by multiple departments’ remains a problem in Banner. The work
around is to use course search which includes the location. This has been an issue for
Missoula College.
There is catalog software (CourseLeaf) that offers a workflow system that is fully
integrated with Banner. The issue is that is cost $110,000. The Registrar’s Office does
not have the funds to purchase, so it would need to become a priority for campus so
that funding is provided centrally or each academic unit contributes. ASCRC support the
purchase of the software and is considering drafting a resolution indicating this would
be a worthwhile investment that could go forward to the Faculty Senate. The benefit is
that the forms would be a single living document with records of approvals and
modifications. More information about the system is needed from the Registrar.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
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Appendices
Procedure
Physical Activity/ Skills Courses
Procedure Number: 201.80.1
Date Adopted:
Last Revision:
9/9/15
References:
BOR Policy 301.535, MUS Common Course Numbering Transfer Guide
Approved by:
ASCRC
Physical Activity/ Skills Courses are courses with the ACT rubric numbered 100-287 or courses with the
ACTV rubric used for varsity athletes, or courses with the HHP rubric numbered 170—179 used by
independent contractors off campus. Military Science has two physical education/skills courses (MSL
106 and 203). Only 4 physical activity/skills course credits count toward a baccalaureate degree.
Physical Activity /Skills Courses are not subject to standard review by ASCRC. However, they must be
listed on the common curriculum course guide. If not on the guide the department must submit a
common course numbering form to the Associate Provost, or the Common Course Numbering Liaison
for submission to OCHE. Once on the guide activity courses can be requested by departments through
the spring catalog review process initiated by the Registrar’s Office. The department must provide the
course description, prereq/coreq, restrictions, credits, repeatability, etc and any fees.
Prior to Common Course numbering physical activity courses had the HHP rubric and were numbered
100-179.
Any additional course fees must be approved by the Board of Regents. Administration and Finance
coordinates this process.
Procedure
Procedure Number:
Date Adopted:
Last Revision:
References:
Credit Hour Definitions
201.35
5/8/14
5//8/149/8/15
ASCRC Procedure 201.40, 201.55, BOR Policy 303.3, 309.1, Code of Federal
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Regulations 34 (C.F.R.) 600.2
Approved by:
ASCRC, Pending Approval by Graduate Council, Faculty Senate
Definition of Credit Hour
Credits for all coursework completed at the University of Montana shall be awarded in accordance with
the Department of Education's regulations as set forth in 34 C.F.R. § 600.2.
Credits awarded for short courses and workshops shall comply with ASCRC procedure 201.40 and BOR
policy 309.1.
Laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and similar activities shall be awarded 1 credit for a
total of 3 2 hours of organized or independent activity per week. Activities may include a variety of
items including internship work or other undertakings that build or apply student competencies
consistent with the institution’s or program’s learning objectives.
Evaluation of Compliance
Compliance with the federal credit-hour policy is evaluated when a course is proposed, when a course is
changed, and as part of regular program review.
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